URBAN ORCHARD’S PROTEIN-PACKED QUINOA SALAD

URBAN ORCHARD’S PROTEIN-PACKED QUINOA SALAD

URBAN ORCHARD’SPROTEIN-PACKED QUINOA SALAD

This creation comes to us from Urban Orchard’s creator and owner, Eric Mazzone.Keith and I were going to a gym’s health fair and wanted to show the members a healthy, whole-food alternative to those disgusting, over-processed protein “candy bars” we saw people downing after their workouts.

Eric agreed to sponsor the dish in exchange for promoting his amazing store at the event.We gave him the charge to pack as much protein as he could into the salad.What he created was not only delicious, but went far beyond our expectations.What he created was over 35 gm of protein!

This dish yields about 8 cups of quinoa, but half will later be turned into quinoa burgers and it is great with the chili recipe, in wraps, on your Big Green Salad or as a savory, protein-packed breakfast.

Ingredients:

4 cups organic quinoa, rinsed 2xs in a mesh strainer

1 cup organic black beans

1/2 bag of frozen organic corn

1 cup of crushed raw organic walnuts

1/2 cup organic chia seeds

1 large organic red onion diced

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1tbs garlic powder

cracked black pepper to taste

sea salt to taste

6 cups organic vegetable stock (optional, can use water)

Boil 6 cups of filtered water (or organic vegetable stock) then add quinoa.Bring to a boil and set to simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed or cooked-off.Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.Finish with the salt to taste.

Serve warm or cold and put aside half for quinoa burger recipe.

This is our favorite quinoa recipe, but feel free to experiment for yourself.